Christie makes Gas Tax increase deal with Sweeney and Prieto

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Governor Chris Christie, Senate President Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Prieto announced a deal to replenish the Transportation Trust Fund with a $.23 per gallon gas tax increase this afternoon in Trenton.

In a press release from his office, Christie touted off setting tax decreases in the deal–“tax fairness”– which he said will more than compensate for the gas tax increase.

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Christie, Democrats take another stab at ending N.J. road funding crisis

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie has resumed talks with Democratic legislative leaders in another attempt to end a stalemate over transportation funding that prompted a statewide road construction shutdown heading into its third month. Christie met with Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson) on Monday, and will meet with Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester), as well this… Read the rest of this entry »

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Christie issues Executive Order to fund transportation projects from the general state fund

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Governor Chris Christie announced this afternoon that he has ordered the State Treasurer to fund transportation projects that are absolutely essential for the protection of the health, safety, and welfare of the people of the State of New Jersey, or that are required to ensure the receipt of federal funding.

The Governor’s announcement comes as the Transportation Trust Fund is on the verge of running out of money.  The legislature failed to pass a funding mechanism for the fund by June 30th.  Christie subsequently shut down all non-essential projects and those not at risk of losing federal funding.

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O’Scanlon addresses his critics regarding his declining to vote on the Assembly gas tax bill

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon, the Republican Budget Officer in the Assembly and a representative of northern Monmouth County in the lower house of the legislature has taken some criticism here in the MMM comments and on facebook for not voting on the Transportation Trust Fund bill that was sprung on the Assembly by Speaker Vincent Prieto and Governor Chris Christie in the middle of the night on June 30.  The bill, which would have increased the gas tax by $.23 per gallon and lowered the state sales tax from 7% to 6% passed in the Assembly and was never voted on by the Senate.

Now almost six weeks later with the TTF still not renewed and road projects stalled throughout the state, O’Scanlon said that he believes “even more strongly that my decision was exactly the right one.”

O’Scanlon issued the following statement to MMM to explain his decision not to vote on the Assembly TTF bill:

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Christie says Sweeney and Prieto have not shared their gas tax plan with him

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Brian T. Murray, Governor Chris Christie’s spokesman, told MMM in an email that Christie has not seen the Transportation Trust Fund legislation that Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto announced today.

New Jersey’s infrastructure construction projects have been shut down since July 8 when the TFF was down to a $10 million balance which being held for emergency projects.

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Sweeney and Prieto Agree On A Transportation Trust Fund Deal

Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto have a compromise deal on the Transportation Trust Fund, according to an announcement on the NJ Senate Democrats website.

“We have an agreement on a plan that is needed to address the state’s critical transportation needs at the same time it provides targeted tax savings for retirees, the working poor and middle class families,” said Senator Sweeney (D-Salem/Cumberland/Gloucester). “This is a bipartisan plan that supports a $2 billion a year Transportation Trust Fund and provides affordable tax cuts that will allow us to meet the state’s pension obligations without creating a fiscal crisis. This is an investment plan that will create jobs and support immediate and long-term economic growth.”

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Sweeney delivers Christie new gas tax plan to end N.J. road project shutdown

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie and Senate President Stephen Sweeney met privately Tuesday in an attempt to broker a deal to fund transportation projects and bring an end to a statewide construction freeze. Sweeney presented Christie with a new proposal for replenishing the now-expired and soon-to-be-broke Transportation Trust Fund, according to a spokesman for the governor.… Read the rest of this entry »

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Christie on the defense as his gas and sales tax plan faces failure

TRENTON — Facing the possibility that a proposed gas-tax-increase-for-sales-tax-decrease proposal he brokered with the Assembly could go up in flames, Gov. Chris Christie made his case for the deal Wednesday. The governor called a surprise Statehouse news conference hours after Senate Democrats said they opposed the plan, which would raise gas tax by 23 cents to… Read the rest of this entry »

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In early morning vote, N.J. lawmakers OK sales tax cut, gas tax hike to fix roads

TRENTON — The state Assembly hastily approved a plan after midnight Tuesday to cut the sales tax by a penny in exchange for raising the gas tax by 23 cents a gallon to rescue the near-broke… Read the rest of this entry »

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No Proof $1+ Billion Gas Tax Increase Is Necessary

By Senator Mike Doherty (R-23)

With a $1.3 billion gas tax increase proposed by some in the Legislature, it’s more important than ever to understand New Jersey’s transportation spending.

More than a year ago, I called for the state to create a “State Transportation Cost Analysis Task Force” to conduct a methodical analysis of the factors that contribute to New Jersey’s road costs, compare our costs to those of other states, and provide recommendations to complete projects more cost-effectively.

While many would consider this legislation to be a matter of common sense, it has failed to advance in the Democrat-controlled Legislature.

I initially introduced S-1888 in response to a study by the Reason Foundation that found Garden State roads to be the nation’s most expensive to build, operate and maintain.

According to that report, New Jersey’s state-administered highways cost taxpayers $2 million per mile, which the Reason Foundation claims to be 12 times the national average, three times the cost in the next highest state and four times the cost in New York.

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